


Through It All

by Zelda_Legends



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Again, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Dimensional Links - Freeform, F/M, Gen, Kissing, Nightmares, Not sure if I'm doing this right, That Should Be It - Freeform, but meh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24646369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zelda_Legends/pseuds/Zelda_Legends
Summary: After defeating Twilight Ganondorf, the Links rest before heading off to the next timeline. Unfortunately, Dusk doesn't get the most peaceful sleep and decides to go outside and take a breather where an unexpected visitor comes to help his unease.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Kudos: 20





	Through It All

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dimensional Links](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15194783) by [ChangelingRin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChangelingRin/pseuds/ChangelingRin). 



> Must read the story this is based off of on FF. net before continuing. The plot may not make sense otherwise. If one has read Dimensional Links only on this website, then there may be a few spoilers due to mentions of future events that have not yet been posted here. If one doesn't care about that sort of thing, then please disregard this and enjoy!

Dusk scowled and shifted over. Cringing deeper, he turned over completely. He let out an audible sigh and stirred again. His breathing picked up its pace, and he shifted over repeatedly. He let out a short groan before rolling over onto his side once more. Sigh, shift. Roll, grunt. Shift, sigh. Roll. Shift. Frown. Roll. Moan. Roll. Shift. Roll. Turn. Sigh. Ro-

Dusk's eyes shot open, and he darted up, panting heavily in a cold sweat. His eyes dashed around as he gauged his surroundings. He was alright. The other guys were lying peacefully on the ground next to him. They were still right next to the hole, all sleeping with no one around. Everything was in place... They were all alright. Dusk took a deep breath and let it out slowly; A nightmare...

Dusk sighed heavily and wiped the sweat from his forehead as he lay back down. He closed his eyes and positioned himself comfortably. The images from his dream reappeared through his mind's eye though, and no matter how hard he squeezed his eyes, the images never left. With a resigned sigh of realization, Dusk opened his eyes to rid himself of the night terror's presence. He furrowed his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes at the middle-distance, seeking to focus on something else.

He failed miserably.

With a quiet groan of frustration, Dusk sat back up and brought his hands up to massage his temples. He crossed his legs in an Indian style formation, planted his elbows on his knees, and rested his forehead in his hands. Why now, of all possible times, did he have to dream about _that_. What was this? Some kind of mockery from the goddesses to prove how helpless he was? Okay, Dusk could admit; he wasn't the strongest of guys. But he certainly wasn't _that_ weak.

Here they were, hidden behind some rubble, a good ten feet away from the void; everyone was reasonably exhausted due to having just taken out Twilight Ganondorf, aka Big Ginger aka Ganondork, and _now_ he had to have a nightmare. Of _all times_! And _why_ did it have to be of _that_? They had come so far! He didn't need this! They still had so much to do! He couldn't let this drag him down! So, _why_!?

Dusk heaved a heavy sigh, and let out a short grunt of frustration. Looking around for someone to talk to, Dusk was dismayed to see that all the others were still asleep. As much as he wanted to, he didn't wake his pack. They needed the rest after all that chaos yesterday. Dusk decided to just get some fresh air; that always seemed to help in times like this. He silently uncrossed his legs from their formation and pushed himself onto his feet, swaying a bit from lightheadedness; he'd gotten up a bit too fast. He breathed in deeply and waited for the black spots to clear before slowly and quietly picking his way around the rubble and into the main area of the throne room. Princess Zelda had stationed guards at the entrance to keep a lookout over them while they slept. He still wasn't sure how he felt about that, considering that the last time he saw the royal guard, they were losing to a flock of keese. Of all things to lose to, Dusk thought idly as he made his way to the exit.

The door _creaked_ open a bit louder than he wanted it to and cringed at the sound. He peeked over his shoulder, turning ever so slightly around. He waited just a minute to be sure no one had woken up. No one had. He took a quiet inhale of breath before noiselessly shuffling out the doorway.

"Hello, Sir. It's rather late to be up and about. Is something wrong?" One of the guards questioned, raising an eyebrow skeptically. The hero _had_ just been through a lot.

And caused quite a ruckus, as far as he was concerned, but it seemed a bit rude to say considering he _had_ just rid Hyrule of that evil man Ganondorf so.

"No, everything's fine. I just..." Dusk paused, thinking over his answer before opting for, "I just want some fresh air."

The soldier frowned but decided not to press, and instead, resorted to nodding his head and resuming post.

The crisp night breeze blew Dusk's bangs up lightly, ruffling his sandy blond locks with a gentle strength. His boots _clicked_ quietly as he stepped softly on the stone terrace. His lips parted slightly as a small sigh left his mouth. Dusk stopped at the top step, crossed his arms, and leaned against the rock pillar, raising his gaze to the clear, luminous sky. Fierce blue eyes examined the shining diamonds with a calm serenity. He took a deep breath as he gently closed his heavy eyes, absorbing the moment. The late-night birds chirped in time with the crickets, and the cool wind rustled the grass and hedges. Dusk drew in slow, deliberate breaths as he listened to nature's natural symphony. It was definitely calming.

He lowered his head while he opened his eyes, twitching his ears as he listened to the distant howling of other wolves. He pushed himself off of the stone column with a swift jerk of his elbow, unfolding his arms as he did so, and took two steps down the stairs. With a light huff, he set himself down on the highest step and stared out at the beautiful courtyard. His eyes drifted off to the side as his dream replayed itself in his mind.

_Dusk stood, alone, with his sword and shield strapped in place on his back. Hyrule field seemed to stretch on endlessly around him as he walked forward, each step feeling like he was wearing the iron boots. Despite it being the middle of summer, the air sent chills to his bones. The sky was as black as night, the only light provided was by the bright moon, high in its perch - except it was an angry red shade. Still, Dusk pressed on, one purpose for his motivation._

_He approached the top of the hill, dread and fear gripping him like an iron claw. As soon as he brought himself the last step up the hill, his eyes widened and his stomach did somersaults. His fears had been confirmed. King Bulblin was back and, and, and..._

_Dusk's fear quickly turned to anger and wrath as he watched the vile creatures attacking his friends. With a bitter growl, Dusk dashed down the other side of the hill towards the King and his followers. As soon as he made it to the bottom, he heard the sickening_ crunch _of bones breaking. His eyes shot to where the sound originated... Ilia. He gasped as he watched her body fall lifeless to the blood-stained ground below. Her skull was cracked wide open, and the Bulblin above her waved his club in the air above him victoriously. In a blind flurry of rage, Dusk drew his sword and hacked and slashed at the beast and his boar._

 _How_ _ **dare**_ _he murder his friend?! His best friend!_ _ **No one**_ _does that without paying with their life. His target reared up and caused the rider to tumbled off. The Bulblin slowly rose to a stand as his ride stampeded off into the distance. Dusk turned to face the monster, pure wrath present in his normally passive azure eyes. A ragged scream to his side echoed throughout the field as the much quieter_ squelch _sound indicated the sound of a sword through flesh. Dusk's attention quickly transferred to that of his comrade fallen on the grass, impaled with his own sword. The Bulblin responsible let go of the sword and laughed triumphantly. Steam, lying in a pool of his own life fluid, turned his head and glared at Dusk, yelling at him in anger, asking why he didn't save him._

_Before Dusk could answer, yet another scene caught his attention. Just beyond his fellow Links, he could see the King carrying the unconscious - possibly dead - children. He stared in disbelief and horror at the mangled bodies of those whom he swore to protect with his life, now hanging defeated from the grip of the one whom he despised the most. The one who broke his word, and turned against him yet again - that dreaded King Bulblin. Colin, Talo, Beth, and Malo... they were gone and blaming Dusk for his inability to save them. Tears of anger, loss, and terror, filled Dusk's eyes as he was brought to another gruesome site._

_Mask and Ocarina, together to the end, lay in the mud both in defensive positions. Ocarina lay with his back to his older self's, arms to the side, obviously trying to protect the other. Mask was in much the same position, except his arms were crossed and his Zora mask lay next to his left hand. Their deceased bodies seemed to cry out to Dusk, begging him to be there, when he wasn't._

_A tear rolled silently down his cheek as his eyes found that of Speck's, Wind's, and Sketch's. Speck was lying on his back, damaged and bloody, with his throat slit and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Wind was sprawled out horizontally over him, face to the ground and left arm torn from its socket. Sketch was a foot away, knees bent underneath him while he laid back, facing up. Dusk had the distinct impression his knees were broken and shattered. They glowered at him and accused him of their death, saying if he had been there, they would still be alive._

_Green, Red, Blue, Vio, and the Four were all together, strewn around each other. Their bodies were all battered and bloodstained, some limbs flayed from their place and scattered on the ground. The Four were piled on top of one another, in desperate positions, as if they were simply guarding one another until the inevitable took them from the world. Vio and Blue were facing each other, mouths parted as they spoke their final words to one another. Green was lying prostrate on the ground, defending his siblings to his last breath. Red, meanwhile, was lying over Green, as if mourning for his brother. They all directed their resentment towards Dusk as they turned their backs to him, hating him for leaving them to die._

_Realm and Lore were only a little ways away, Realm in a surrendering position, as though he threw himself in front of Lore at the last minute to take his place. Lore was in the awkward position of being bent over his knees as if he was grieving and crying out for help to save them from all of this. They too blamed Dusk for not being strong enough to save them._

_Then there was Gen, the last of them all. He lay in the stained grass, closest to the Bulblin King with tear streaks present. His right arm stretched out towards the children and his left out towards the other Links. His sword was just out of his grasp as was his shield. There wasn't an inch of him that wasn't covered in his own life-fluid. He gave his all for the others and it was all in vain. Dusk's tears were spilling over without restraint as Gen screamed at him. That he left his own friends to die, and that he could never forgive him._

_Dusk threw his hands to his face, feeling blood pour from the new wound on his head. The Bulblin in front of him raised his club once more, ready to strike. Dusk fell to his knees, and he raised his head to the heavens, cursing the goddesses for their cruelty. He lowered his head and accepted his fate as the club came down again._

A hand on his shoulder brought Dusk back to reality with a start. Dusk's head snapped up to see Princess Zelda standing next to him, with her silky gloved hand extended out lightly touching his shoulder. Dusk could feel the wetness on his cheeks from his tears that continued to fall from his royal blue eyes. Zelda's own cerulean orbs met his own, and a message of understanding passed between the two. She gently lowered herself on the step next to Dusk and moved her arm to wrap it around him, breaking their shared gaze.

Dusk drew in a sharp inhale, turning his head to watch the scenery. Embarrassment was the last thing on his mind right now. He actually found her presence rather comforting, soothing to his frantic nerves. After a few deep breaths, he turned his glassy eyes back to her soft ones. She returned the gaze, never once breaking the peaceful silence. He drew in a controlled, shaky breath before parting his lips slightly.

"Princess... I..." That was about as far as Dusk got before Zelda wrapped her arms around his frame and pulled him in for a modest, yet comforting hug.

After that, it seemed that words were obsolete. Dusk simply let it out on her shoulder, trying and failing to prevent her dress from soaking, but honestly. Zelda wouldn't have hugged him if she was worried about that. Thus, Dusk decided it wouldn't matter if he dampened it a little bit.

Zelda's hand drew long lines and small circles on his back, moving her finger up his spine, then around his shoulder blades, and then back down. She didn't know everything that he'd gone through or everywhere he went, but he did know that he spent most of that time alone, save for a rather arrogant and self-important imp. She knew enough about Midna to know that she probably didn't help Link's situation any. The shadow girl probably made things worse at times, and yet... Zelda hadn't heard one complaint from Link about it.

Link, Hyrule's hero, had gone through so much, that she was sure of. Regardless of what the goddesses had put him through, he became successful in the end and even met other heroes like himself along the way. Which, naturally, she had some more questions about, but those could wait. She'd gotten the brief version from Midna earlier. She wasn't entirely sure what had caused this specific breakdown but considering he'd had the weight of Hyrule, and now the universe, on his shoulders, it really could've been anything like stress, anxiety, etc.

Zelda waited patiently for Link's sobbing to calm down and for his shaking to cease before gently pulling away and looking him in his glassy eyes. For a moment there was silence, save for nature's harmony around them. Until Dusk drew in an almost controlled breath and began speaking once more.

"What if they were wrong?"

It came out as barely a whisper. A heartbroken, pain-filled, aching, desperate whisper. Zelda nearly teared up herself if it weren't for her steel personality and ability to push away feelings for the greater good.

"What if who's wrong?" She asked, voice quiet as she reached out and brushed a stray tear from his cheek.

Though she swore she heard his breath hitch at the motion. But it was probably because he was still calming down. Stupid Zelda, don't get thinking too quickly.

Dusk paused. "...The goddesses."

Zelda's eyebrows slowly came together as she narrowed her eyes in confusion. "The goddesses?"

"For choosing me." Dusk clarified, deliberately looking anywhere but Zelda's eyes. "What if, you know, I'm not strong enough? What if I can't do this? What if my friends die? What if I fail? I just don't want reality to perish, and I want to keep my friends safe, and everyone safe really, and I want to be able to do this, and I just need to know that we won't fail... I don't want to fail. What if... I can't do that?"

At the end of his account, Dusk slowly raised his eyes to meet Zelda's again, already tearing up once more. They both stayed silent for a minute before Zelda straightened up and raised her head before looking pointedly into his eyes.

"The goddesses weren't wrong, Link. You have been put through trial after trial after trial, and yet, you have succeeded. In each one, Link, you came back victorious. Because you hold the Triforce of Courage. The goddesses chose you because you had a heart that is pure, intentions that are true, and a spirit that is unbreakable. You have gone through so much already and have you given up? Did you give in to your doubts, fears, or the odds against you? No, Link. Because you were willing to face anything for Hyrule. For people you don't know. For your friends. And even for those who may not have treated you well." At this, Zelda thought of a certain little imp who needed to learn respect. "I know that you will succeed because you still have those people who you care about. And their lives are at stake. You've never given in to your doubts before, so you won't now. You've never listened to your fears before, so don't start. Don't let anything shake you or your heart, Link. The goddesses chose wisely. They knew you would sacrifice your life if only to keep your friends out of harm. You should not doubt yourself so. Think about your friends and try that much harder." She paused for effect. "Link, do not give in to these lies. You will succeed. I know it."

Dusk stared at her, then looked at the ground, then back at her. Zelda's words didn't magically fix his insecurities, but they did give him the motivation and courage to face his doubts and move forward anyway. Things would always be hard, but he had his friends to help him, and he had those he cared about to push him onward. No matter what the goddesses threw his way, he'd face it head-on and give his all for the universe.

With a renewed sense of vigor, Dusk dried his eyes with his forearm, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes and meet Zelda's own, before speaking more confidently.

"Thank you."

Zelda shook her head, a soft smile forming on her features. Surreptitiously, she slid her gloves off her hands, laying them off to the side.

"No, thank you."

As the two shared their gaze, Dusk felt his breathing pick up its pace and he couldn't help but become entranced with her beauty. Her thick, chocolate brown locks cascading down her back. Her high cheekbones and shining skin. The way her long, black lashes framed those shining, steel, azure eyes. Her soft, slightly parted, pink lips. Dusk felt his face heat up slightly as he gauged the pure elegance of Zelda's features.

Knowing she was way out of his league, Dusk scolded himself silently for even thinking of the possibility, and made to break their eye contact.

That is, before Zelda slowly leaned towards him, and pressed her lips to his.

Eyes widening, and mind reeling, Dusk did nothing for a moment as Zelda gently moved her mouth against his. Blinking quickly to try and process what was happening, Dusk gradually realized that Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, and admittedly his biggest crush, was kissing him. Actually kissing him.

It took a few more moments before Dusk kicked his brain back into gear and started mimicking Zelda's movements with his own. Their lips meshed together and moved slowly in sync with one another. It was a moment of pure bliss for Dusk, and he could tell by her eager reactions that it was for her too. He let himself absorb this moment, and merely let Zelda kiss him as his mouth moved on its own accord. He memorized the feel of her lips against his, noting their soft texture against his own rougher ones. Her breath danced gently on his cheek, as she let out a quiet sigh of satisfaction. He closed his eyes, losing himself in the moment and focusing solely on the girl he was kissing.

Zelda couldn't remember any time she'd felt better. He was finally here, Hyrule's hero, sitting next to her, and kissing her. She closed her eyes and welcomed this moment with open arms as she moved her hand to Dusk's, letting her fingers whisper on top of his. She felt his finger twitch at the contact and intertwine with her own, giving her the ability to feel the rough callousness of his palms against her smooth ones.

Her breath quickening, Zelda brought her free hand up to the back of his neck and pulled him in closer, adding a bit of pressure and aggression to the kiss. Feeling his heart pound against his chest with excitement, Dusk wrapped his arms around Zelda's waist and pressed their bodies together, although somewhat awkwardly given their sitting positions on the steps.

Practically melting into the kiss, Zelda parted her lips and slid out her tongue out against Dusk's mouth, silently asking permission to enter. It didn't take long before Dusk parted his own lips and slowly raised his tongue to meet Zelda's invading one. Their tongues swirled and danced together, as Zelda tasted his inner cavern, hearing in return Dusk let out a soft moan of contentment.

From the doorway, a certain twilight creature flashed her fanged smirk, and nodded to herself in approval. It was about time these two expressed their feelings to each other.

.  
.  
.  
  
Still, that didn't mean she wasn't going to embarrass him about this later.

**Author's Note:**

> And there you have it. Honestly, this took me forever to write so a huge thank you to those on the DL discord who helped this become complete!


End file.
